dates: Sat 3, Thurs 8, Fri 9, Sat 10. Free. Giles Hamilton and Neil Beaumont provide a selection of music while you eat. Various other

i artists appear on the other evenings.

2 At time ofgoing to press— Jannek Kwalski on accordion (Sat 3), Will

Music oi this century seems to come in . its own crescendos and diminuendos in terms oi lrequency of live periormances and this lortnight, alter a bitoi a quiet spell, it’s not quite reaching a iorte, but is certainly building up. Saturday seesthe New Music Group oi Scotland with director Edward Harper (see picture) at the Reid Hall in Edinburgh presenting the rather unusual -though in many ways obvious - idea at both the lirst and second periormances oi a new piece in one concert. James MacMilian's Songs oi a Just Warlor soprano solo (in this case the young Scottish singer Irene Drummond who is establishing a tine reputation for periormances of contemporary music) and small instrumental ensemble is periormed before and after the interval giving the , audience the rare and welcome F opportunity at being able to chew over in the break what they've just heard, in preparation ior hearing the new music a second time with an idea at what it’s all about. Machllan draws some oi his inspiration irom poets such as the Chilean Pablo Neruda and the Scottish . writer William Soutar, who although confined to bed ior most oi his life, has produced some ol the most perceptive poetry in Scottish literature. Music ior

solo viola (James Durrant) by Berio and

; Stravinsky is on both sides oi the

MacMilian, with the Quartet by Peter Nelson and Ravel’s Septet completing the programme.

8The List2— 15 May

England/Mooshie Western duo (Thurs 8). Christine Kidd (Fri 9), and a return visit from Giles and Neil with clarinet and ﬂute (Sat 10).

SATURDAY 3 Glasgow

0 The Marriage of Figaro Theatre Royal. Hope Street. Box office 331 1234. 2.15pm. Extra dates: Sat 10, Tue 13. Thurs 15—all at 7.15pm— Glasgow; Wed 21, Sat 24—7.15pm— King‘s. Edinburgh. £2.50—£18.50. Scottish Opera present one of Mozart‘s most-loved operas in a new production directed by John Cox. Better known for writing plays rather than being the artist behind theatre design, the distinguished Scottish playwright John Byrne is the designer. A fine cast includes the ever-popular Bill McCue as Dr Bartolo, Isobel Buchanan as

Susanna. Margaret Marshall singing

the Countess and Roderick Earle in the title role.

0 Harpsichord Recital Pollok House, Pollok Country Park, 2060

NEW MUSES

It is unlortunate, given the general paucity oi periormances of contemporary music, that two are

happening on the same night later in

the month. On Tuesday 13, Edinburgh

audiences have the choice oi Lyell

Cresswell's To aspro pano sto aspro

. commissioned and periormed by

Cappella Nova in Old St. Paul’s Church or the Roth String Quartet with

0 New Music Group ol Scotland Reid Concert Hall, Teviot Row, Bristo Square. Box office 225 4606 (NMGS) or 228 1155 (Usher Hall). 8pm. £3 (£2). An attractive programme of very new music - the first two performances ofJames MacMillan‘s Songs of a Just War - and not quite so new music — Ravel’s gorgeous Introduction et Allegro, written for string quartet plus flute, clarinet and harp. Irene Drummond is the soprano soloist in the Songs and James Durrant is the viola soloist in Berio‘s Sequenza and Stravinsky‘s Elegy, both written for that instrument on its own. The Quartet for ﬂute, clarinet, viola and harp by Peter Nelson opens the concert (see panel).

its promotion of piano music in Scotland, particularly by young artists, Pro Arte is now taking this a step further and becoming involved in a new piano competition to be held triennially in Glasgow. The final of this year’s event will be held in September.